NFL Controversy: ‘Teachable Moment’ for SPH Domestic Violence Expert.

Thanks to the Internet, millions of people have now seen the video that shook the NFL: Ray Rice, the star running back for the Baltimore Ravens, slugging his fiancée, Janay Palmer, out cold in a casino elevator in February.

To domestic violence experts such as SPH’s Emily Rothman, an associate professor of community health sciences, this is a teachable moment — not just because it drives home the problem of domestic abuse, but because it raises questions about larger issues, such as the culture of professional sports and public perceptions of people who stay with abusive partners.

The Rice case has ignited a wave of protest against the NFL, which initially handed Rice a two-game suspension. After the video surfaced, the Ravens terminated his contract and the NFL suspended him indefinitely — leading to charges that the league looked the other way until the video became public.

Rothman, who studies both the causes and impact of intimate partner violence, has followed the case and the reactions it has stirred — including a backlash against Palmer (now Rice’s wife) for staying with him. She has published more than three-dozen studies on the topic of interpersonal violence, and is now at work, with collaborators at Boston Medical Center, on an intervention designed to break the cycle of domestic violence among young adults.

She talked about the recent events:

Is there something unique about the NFL – or professional sports generally — that creates an environment for domestic abuse?

“I’m not sure it’s unique to the NFL, but sports that reinforce traditional gender norms — such as, ‘men should use brute force’, and ‘women are delicate’ — and environments where solving problems with violence is encouraged, such as the military, are both associated with higher risk of partner violence. Fascinatingly, this doesn’t apply only to the athletes themselves. In 2009, two researchers studied NFL game wins and losses and found that when the home team lost, calls to police about male-on-female partner violence increased substantially — even controlling for all sorts of other factors like weather, location, and pre-game point spread.

“While it may take more work to identify what, exactly, about U.S. football may predispose men to assault partners, there is an association there that merits more attention.”

So it might not be coincidence that we’ve seen so many NFL players – 85 since 2000, according to news reports — charged with domestic abuse?

“I would say there are number of factors that could be at work in cases where NFL or other football players perpetrate partner violence. First, I’d wonder if the player in question was using steroids, as steroid use can result in increased aggression. Second, I’d acknowledge that head injuries to the frontal lobe can sometimes result in increased aggressiveness. Third, I’d have questions about cortisol regulation in the players—if the athlete has been subjected to chronic stress or a traumatic event in childhood, that could alter how he responds to perceived threats.

“Fourth, I’d wonder if there were shared attitudes or values among men who also happen to be drawn to football that could be responsible for the association, such as attitudes that men deserve to be in charge in the family. Ray Rice actually said his job, now that he is fired, is to “lead his wife.” And fifth, it’s possible that some of the drivers of partner violence—such as having an attachment disorder, experiencing child abuse, having oppositional defiance disorder as an adolescent, being generally violent or associating with violent peers—could for some reason be more common among men who eventually become football stars than among other groups of men.”

Are there particular traits shared by ‘typical’ abusers?

“There is no ‘typical’ abuser. After working as a batterer intervention counselor, I can tell you that people who use violence in relationships come from all walks of life. Doctors, police officers, teachers, university students, and university professors have been arrested for partner violence. Of course, people in same sex relationships can be abusive in the same way as people in opposite sex relationships. Women, as well as men, can be abusive.

“In the entertainment world, we’ve seen a range of celebrities charged with domestic abuse — Chris Brown, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Nicolas Cage and Sean Penn.

“There are some commonalities and factors that increase the likelihood that someone will become abusive. These include experiencing child abuse, witnessing inter-parental domestic violence, having an attachment disorder or anti-social personality disorder, being substance dependent, engaging in delinquent activities or associating with delinquent peers, or living in a neighborhood characterized by low collective efficacy.”

What do you make of the public backlash against Rice’s wife, Janay, who has been blamed for staying with him?

“Backlash is typical. For example, in 1996, when the OJ Simpson trial was going on, there were many people who didn’t want to believe that this celebrity hero was culpable. Similarly, when Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna in 2009 and pled guilty to felony assault, many members of the public nevertheless thought it was Rihanna’s fault — and she was judged harshly when she initially considered staying with him. Today, many people are focused on issues like whether Janay was partially to blame, because she also was engaging in the conflict, and she stayed with Ray Rice.

“I think people who have questions about whether Janay is partially to blame need to ask themselves why the answer to that question is important to them. It’s not OK for anyone to swear at their partner or to spit at them, which are both things I have heard Janay did. However, no matter what she did—it doesn’t justify Ray Rice’s actions or take away from his culpability.

“Unless one is in fear of imminent bodily harm, it isn’t “self defense” to punch someone in the head, and “she started it” is not an excuse that makes people any less guilty of an assault and battery crime.

“So, for people who hang on to the part of this story that is about what she did and what’s wrong with her, I’d say there is something that makes them want to turn away from the real issue and the real societal problem — because women are 2.3 times as likely to be victims of partner violence than men, and approximately four times as likely to be injured as a result of an assault by a partner than men who are victimized. All the evidence indicates that this is a problem that disproportionately affects women.”

Are there positive lessons to be learned from all of the attention on this case?

“In my class on partner violence at BUSPH, I always tell my students to have their facts ready for “The Big Day” when another celebrity case occurs. In this instance, those who work in partner violence prevention were well prepared and did an excellent job responding to backlash to keep the discourse focused on holding perpetrators accountable.

“That people everywhere are now thinking, talking and seeking more information about relationship abuse is fantastic—and I have confidence that will lead to more people seeking help for abuse perpetration or victimization and getting involved in prevention.”

What would you recommend to people who believe they are being abused or know someone who is?

“People who think that their relationship may be unhealthy or abusive are encouraged to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) to talk things over with an informed advocate.

If you have a friend or relative whom you think is being abused, a good idea is to follow the tips at this website, womenshealth.gov.”

Submitted by: Lisa Chedekel